Lion Air crash victims’ families to rally as hunt for wreckage steps up

The Boeing Co 737 MAX jet crashed into the Java Sea on Oct. 29 shortly after take-off from Jakarta, but the families expressed concern that the remains of 64 passengers have yet to be identified, with just 30 per cent of the plane's body found.

FILE PHOTO: Workers load up recovered debris and belongings believed to be from Lion Air flight JT610 onto a truck at Tanjung Priok port in Jakarta, Indonesia, November 2, 2018. (REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo)

Families of some of the 189 people killed in a Lion Air plane crash plan a protest rally in Indonesia on Thursday, while stalled efforts to bring the main wreckage to the surface and find the second black box are set to resume next week.

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The Boeing Co 737 MAX jet crashed into the Java Sea on Oct. 29 shortly after take-off from Jakarta, but the families expressed concern that the remains of 64 passengers have yet to be identified, with just 30 percent of the plane’s body found.

“The relatives hope that all members of our families who died in the accident can be found and their bodies buried in a proper way,” a group that says it represents about 50 families said in a statement.

“We hope the search for the victims will use vessels with sophisticated technology,” it added, ahead of the rally planned for outside the presidential palace in Jakarta.

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Lion Air is paying for a specialised ship to help lift the main wreckage of flight JT 610 and give investigators a better chance of finding the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) in a search that has lacked sophisticated equipment for the last month, Reuters reported.

Indonesia’s national transport panel said the vessel was due to arrive on Monday.

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The enhanced search will cost $2.8 million for the first 10 days, a source close to the airline said on Thursday, on condition of anonymity, adding that Lion Air is paying because the government does not have the budget.

A spokesman for Lion Air was unable to respond immediately to a request for comment.